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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26519212">Further Calamities</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriSakimoto/pseuds/EriSakimoto'>EriSakimoto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Mother!Reader/Naruto, a "reader adopts sasuke fic", mother!reader/sasuke, not in the shipping way obviously, sasuke has ptsd and that's a rock fact, the sequel to "taking care" so maybe read that first if you want or don't, this will probably be slightly darker than my last one bc obviously it's sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:08:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26519212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriSakimoto/pseuds/EriSakimoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>So you've successfully managed to parent Naruto, the Leaf Village's worst kept secret and number one hyperactive ninja. Now your son comes home talking about another child that's alone in the world; Sasuke Uchiha, the lone survivor of his clan's massacre. What can possibly go wrong?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Further Calamities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome! This is a sequel to my previous adoption fic "Taking Care" which I suggest reading before this one if you want some context on the reader and their relationships with cannon characters. Unlike my last one, I do not have this fic written in advance so updates my sometimes be slow, but I won't abandon or go on a full hiatus without giving notice. And thank you for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>No one gives us warning when our lives are about to change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was no earth-shattering revelation, but only a thought that occurred to you on a very sad day in late summer. The day before it had been a good one and a busy one; the bakery you ran, tucked into a corner of Konohagakure, the village Hidden in the Leaves, was overrun with catering orders. You had been working at a frantic pace all day; flour in your nostrils and the heat baking your eyelids. And when your son arrived home from school you greeted him with flour-covered kisses and sent him to play with his friends so you could get some rest. There had been no sign of any great catastrophe on the wind, no ill-boded feelings as you closed up shop, took a quick nap in the heady heat, and went to retrieve him. In the hazy afternoon light he skipped happily ahead of you, hopping in puddles of rainwater as they swiftly evaporated. Naruto, your golden-haired boy; nearly eight years old, had chattered about his friends and about the academy without stopping for a breath. Maybe you’d been so busy trying to keep up with his lackadaisical trains of thought you’d missed him, walking the other way. Maybe you caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of your eye; a little figure in blues and blacks with his hands in his pockets, walking resolutely towards disaster. Maybe you could have prevented what happened next, but of course, we get no warnings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometime that night you’d awoken, sweating, from a dream you could not remember but that left you trembling in bed. Naruto had left his own bed sometime in the night and entered yours; this was not unusual in the six months since you’d adopted him. The way he was clinging to your nightgown, hands fisted into its fabric and face scrunched up in terror, however, was. You soothed him into a more easy sleep, and then slipped out of the blankets to sit outside on the veranda. It was early, early morning; the moon had been a pale disk of silver that night. You had seen it rise over the distant lights of the Uchiha compound; you were asleep long before they blinked out one by one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon a nin arrived at your door; a former anbu and a friend, Kakashi Hatake. He ignored your smile and your offer of a cup of coffee and said, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something’s happened,” and before you could ask what it was, “the Uchiha’s. The clan’s been wiped out. Every one of them is dead.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s devastatingly final and there’s devastatingly little you can do about it. You hadn’t been particularly close with any of the Uchiha; but a kind smile here from a dark haired woman in the market, a passing conversation with an old man while huddled under an awning from the rain haunted you. How could a whole group of people simply be eradicated, overnight? How to explain it to a seven year old? Weeks pass; a few months. You celebrate Naruto’s eighth birthday. You start to worry about his grades and one unusually slow day of sales. Life takes over with it’s unconquerable advance.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s no warning for when our lives are about to change. Some days you can wake up feeling like the atmosphere is altered, like there’s something coming in on the wind; and sometimes you might be right, but mostly this is coincidence. There’s just no way of telling what sets the course of life off it’s kilter and there’s no update when the track switches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when your son comes home from playing with his friends and starts telling you about his day as you’re chopping vegetables for dinner, little legs swinging against the edge of the table, there’s no sudden revelation or tip about the importance when he says;</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I found out there’s a boy like me today!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You turn and grab another onion, trying hard to keep your eyes from watering through sheer determination. “A boy like me” in Naruto’s case could mean a lot of things; from just another blonde kid to “a boy with a powerful demon sealed inside him”, so you say, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? What do you mean by that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, like I used to be. He doesn’t have parents.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You stop then, not necessarily because of what Naruto said, but because the onion has won; the cutting board below you blurs and you fear for your fingers. It gives you time to consider: the village has no shortage of orphans, thanks in no small part to the very demon your son acts as a vessel for. But as far as you’re aware Naruto hasn’t befriended any of them until now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did he tell you that?” You ask, turning and wiping your eyes on your apron sleeve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No; the shopkeeper lady who sells all the big candy animals did.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When was this?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today! I told you. I was in there with Choji looking at stuff and we saw him pass by and she said ‘poor child’ just like that, and I said ‘why’ and she said, she said- uh -” he trailed off, sneezing messily onto his shirtsleeve, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“ow</span>
  </em>
  <span>,ow! My eyes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the onion, sweetie. What did she say?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, she said, ‘he doesn’t have any parents, you know, he’s all alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You finally scrape the remnants of the spiteful onion into the bin, blinking to dispel the irritated tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you tried to talk to him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You aren’t facing him, but the second’s hesitation from the usually talkative boy coupled with the increased swinging </span>
  <em>
    <span>thud </span>
  </em>
  <span>of sandals against your table tells you what he doesn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he says at last, “a few times, before. He’s been real mean. But maybe, you know, it’s just cause’ he doesn’t like me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He might just have a hard time making friends.” You say, “next time you see him, why don’t you invite him over for dinner? I’d like to meet this kid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK! I will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And you go back to your stew, and he to telling you about the rest of his day. You hate to admit that it’s completely slipped your mind until Naruto, halfway through his reading lesson a few days later, stops and says, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said ‘no’ by the way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That boy I was talking about. The one who doesn’t have parents. He said ‘no’ and to tell you he has plenty of food.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” you say, not sure what to make of this, “Well. It was very nice of you to try, anyway. I guess we’ll have to reexamine our attack strategy, won’t we?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it’s gone; again. Another week passes. Naruto fixes the grade that was lagging, through a collaboration of you and his teacher Iruka. You haven’t forgotten about ‘the boy with no parents’, and in fact one day you decide to ask around about him, only to realize Naruto never gave you his name. By the time he’s home from the academy you’d forgotten. Life goes on until a Saturday when you’re out buying food and supplies for the bakery, and Naruto tugs your sleeve so hard you almost spill the contents of your shopping basket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom!” he hisses, voice only a whisper by a technicality,  “that’s him! That’s the boy!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You looked and quickly found him; a boy in dark clothing, with dark hair, buying fruit. It was so strange as to be almost comical; a pint-sized visage of a child Naruto’s age, with his shopping basket nearly the size of himself held on one arm, solemnly examining potatoes. It would have been easy to miss him if your son hadn’t pointed him out to you, but now you can’t get over the absurdity of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I try and invite him over again?” Asks Naruto, you look down into pleading blue eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” You say, “Maybe let me try this time, the subtle approach.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Really, you wanted to get a feel for if this boy was really on his own, and if so why, and if anyone was taking notice. And additionally, you knew Naruto had the tendency to come on strong. He doesn’t take offence though,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell him if he comes over he can play with my fake ninja stars.” Naruto says, his tone suggesting that this is an ace-in-the-hole sure to tempt him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You approach the dark haired child, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi there,” You say easily, and he turns to you. You meet very black eyes; bored, assessing. But that's not what catches your attention; the child looks like a....but that’s impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm y/n, Naruto's mother." You say, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uchiha, Sasuke." He says, formally, with a stiff, practiced politeness. You make a concentrated effort not to show it, but you're sure he sees the shock on your face. Sure because his eyes take on that glassy disinterested stare of a child hearing something he's heard many times. So you swallow down all your questions,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's nice to meet you, Sasuke. I hope I'm not bothering you. We're having hotpot tonight, and I wondered- if you would like to come over." He doesn't answer at first. You see his eyes slip from yours (with relief; he has a very direct stare) to Naruto, who grins and waves, and then back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," he says, and then seems to remember his manners,. "I mean, no, thanks. I have food." He moves the shopping basket on his arm as if to demonstrate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well that's good!" You stall, faltering, unsure how to continue. You don't want to scare him off by pressing, but you're also not willing to let it go so easy. And you desperately want to know the "how's" of him being here, alive, at all. The common story you'd heard of the massacre was that there were no survivors left; other rumours had listed various groups orchestrating or escaping, but they seemed more outlandish, and you'd purposely stayed away from any gossip about the tragedy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah." He says, with an air of finality, “I’m fine” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You open your mouth without much of a plan of action; but someone calls “y/n!” from behind you, and you turn, distracted, to see the mother of one of Naruto’s little friends waving you down. Your glance is only off of him for a second, but it’s enough time for the boy to beat a hasty retreat; you catch a glimpse of the back of his black jumper before he weaves through the crowd and is gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time the thought of “i’m fine” Sasuke Uchiha did not slip your mind, and in fact, you thought of little else the next few days. But they were busy days: the school year was winding to an end, the days growing shorter as autumn crept into winter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> It was two more days before you saw him. You had gone to meet Naruto at the academy as a surprise, when he normally met Might Gai for his after-school tutoring with the taijutsu specialist. The lessons were no longer a necessity; he had long since improved his grades, and in fact was one of the top performers in class; but they gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment, and the two had formed a close bond. So instead of training, you were taking both child and teacher to dinner at Ichiraku's to celebrate a good semester; walking through the darkening streets listening to Naruto’s “hiya!’”s as he threw attack after attack at his teacher. You spotted Sasuke walking swiftly ahead of you- hands in his pockets, eyes trained ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gai.” you said, and the jumpsuit clad man, busy catching Naruto mid-air, came to attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you take him on ahead and order? I have to do something real quick.” You nodded your head in the direction of the retreating child, and luckily Gai -not always the most observant- saw the receding back of the child and seemed to catch your drift, nodding and delivering his patent thumbs up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back.” you promised, before darting off in the direction he had disappeared in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Through a few alleyways, past your bakery, and across the barrier towards the outer edge of the village. There was only one place he could be going, of course, and your heart sunk as you realized it; he was going home, to the empty Uchiha compound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were no lights on, past the yawning gates: well, of course there weren’t. The tattered banner fluttered silently in the night breeze, the red of it’s fan pattern a splash of color against the muted gray. The silence, even at the gate was oppressive; an atmosphere of terror that weighed down upon you even as you watched the little figure make his way resolutely through the entrance and down the strip of houses, past their open empty doorways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You wanted to follow him in; needed to confirm that he was, truly, living here all alone; but you hesitated. You wanted to say it was because this was still technically a crime scene, forbidden to civilians, but the truth was, you were terrified. The cavernous darkness past the gates felt like it would swallow you if you entered, and a passing, foolish thought; that maybe there </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>no boy at all and you were seeing a ghost; crossed your mind. You swallowed down your foolishness, straightening. the boy definitely existed, and he needed your help. But what to do? You couldn’t very well march in after him and drag him home with you. As far as he was concerned, this </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>home. A cold autumn wind kicked up, whipping dead leaves around you. He couldn’t stay here; that much was certain. Reluctantly, you turned, biting your lip. Leaving him here alone, even for one more night, felt wrong; but you would have to do this the right way, and that meant waiting until tomorrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>****</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Naruto was deeply engaged in the exciting story of some mission Gai was telling him as you slipped in next to them, out of the darkness and into the familiar warmth and light of Ichiriku’s. This suited you fine, as you were left alone to be consumed with thought as you half-heartedly ate your lukewarm ramen. Thoughts like </span>
  <em>
    <span>how am I gonna fit another bed into the bakery? </span>
  </em>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>how do I convince him to stay with us? </span>
  </em>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>who keeps allowing these children to fend for themselves?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite your quietude, you thought you did a pretty good job of not acting distracted as you paid and walked home with Naruto in the dark, thinking all the while of Sasuke alone in that ghost town. Naruto noticed though; he was, you had found, frighteningly emotionally intelligent for his age. As you tucked him in and kissed him goodnight he tugged on the sleeve of your pajamas before you could turn away, repeating the question you often asked him; </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” you said out of reflex, ruffling his hair, and then you thought better of it, “well actually- it’s...that boy, Sasuke. How would you feel...about him staying with us for awhile?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked at you, “Like- here, in our house?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Would you be OK with that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure! Would that mean you’d be his mom too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, no…” You faltered, “Not unless he wants that. For right now, it would just be to give him a place to stay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He squints at you, clearly still puzzling this out “OK.” He says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Naruto, it might not be fun all of the time. You’ll have to share your space and some of your things and...Sasuke has been through something very bad, and I’m sure he’s still dealing with it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know.” Says Naruto, “Iruka-sensei says that’s why he calls me mean names at school. Well, Iruka-sensei also said it’s cause’ I inst-gi-grate fights.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm.” You says, “Well, we’ll try not to let either of those things happen here. And Naruto?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No matter what happens with Sasuke, it won’t affect me being your mom. You know that, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grins at you, giving you the thumbs up pose he’d picked up from Gai: “Right!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so the next morning found you in the hokage’s office, bright and early; squaring down the old man yet again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are things with Naruto? I have to compliment you on the improvements with the boy. I hardly ever have reports of his mischief making anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Hokage-sama, but I’m not here about Naruto.” You said, and drew in a deep breath, “I’m here about Sasuke Uchiha.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hirozen nodded, a movement that you first thought was just the bobbing of his head but soon realized was him chuckling silently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been expecting this visit, you know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You had made a pact with yourself to be polite, but now you rested your hands on your hips defensively. “What does that mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only that Sasuke is Naruto’s classmate, and eventually word would get to you that he had been orphaned. I expected I would have you in my office sooner or later, asking about him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You pursed your lips, displeased he’d read you so easily. “Then why didn’t you come to me directly?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to make you feel obligated to do anything. You have quite a challenge on your hands already, with Naruto.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then there is no one else? I mean, with Sasuke. He is all alone?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but the circumstances are not quite the same.” The old man’s face grew solemn, “Sasuke does not want to be placed. He insists he’d rather stay in his own home. Originally, I conceded because I did not wish to tear him away from what remained of his family; but I’m beginning to reconsider.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You swallowed, suddenly seeing the other angle of it. “I understand him not wanting to leave,” you said hesitantly, “but he’s only seven or eight; he can't be expected to take care of himself yet. And in that place…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree with you. I can only see him becoming bitter and withdrawn there. And to have him consumed by the same darkness that overtook his brother is the last thing that we want.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” You gasped, as if the air had been knocked from your lungs. You had heard the name Itachi Uchiha connected with the massacre; some rumors said he’d lost his mind, some that he had been a double agent for the Mist village; but most agreed that he’d committed the genocide single-handed and then fled the village. You had dismissed them all as just wild speculation; never making the connection between Sasuke and Itachi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one that…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The anbu are still investigating.” He cut you off, effectively closing that subject, and you straightened. You weren’t here about that, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’re agreed on me taking him in? Sasuke?.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but it may be a bit more complicated than that. As I said, he will resist the idea. You’d better let me speak to him personally.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You shifted from foot to foot. You’d much rather invite him yourself, but the old man had a point. If the other day was anything to go by, he would most likely just refuse and run off again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You agreed, and left, and immediately began the panicked process of preparing for another child. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You expected to hear word by midday; a confirmation at least, but noon passed with nothing. The end of the academy time came and went, nothing. You began dinner, and Naruto returned home shortly after, dirty and scuffed from his training with Gai. The process of getting him washed up and ready to eat had almost put it out of your mind, finally, until there was a wrapping on the closed shop door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You answered it to an anbu guard, one of the hokage’s personal guards; and Sasuke, knee-height beside him, clutching a couple of bags and glowering at his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The hokage asked me to see that he arrived safely.” Is all the anbu says, before nodding at you and disappearing over the rooftops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You put on the warmest smile you can manage, “Come in, Sasuke. We’re just sitting down to dinner.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The child glances at you for the first time - you catch that intense pitch black stare for a second- before dropping his gaze again. He draws in a deep breath, and then bows and says,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for your hospitality.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s clear someone told him to say this; his voice is completely flat and devoid of emotion. Rather than having the usual cute effect of kid’s reciting niceties it comes off as unsettlingly robotic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no need to be formal.” You say, ushering him out of the cold and into the kitchen, “you're welcome here, we’re glad to have you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto looks up from his bowl of soup as you enter, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sasuke!” He says excitedly, and this, finally, elicits an emotional response; annoyance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Sasuke says, throwing him a withering side glance that he doesn’t seem to notice. You grimace as you ladle out a third bowl for him and add some fresh buttered bread. It was clear from the way Naruto spoke that they weren’t exactly the best of friends, but you had hoped “enemies” wasn’t the more accurate word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You watch him during dinner while trying hard to act like you aren't. He's distant and withdrawn, sipping his soup slowly as Naruto talks a mile a minute in his ear, overly excited about having a new roommate. He doesn't say a word until he's done, rising from his seat and depositing the still-mostly-full bowl into the sink before saying, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the food.” In that same flat tone, and heading upstairs without another word. Naruto, stopped mid-story, watches him go, face solemn as if suddenly realizing he had been ignored. When he's out of earshot he turns to you and says, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mom, I think he's kinda sad." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," you say, "i think you're right kiddo."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For lack of better options, you had decided to room both boys together in the large space you had formerly used as a sunroom. The only other option was converting a pantry, but it didn’t seem right to stick either boy in such a cramped windowless space. So you had shuffled some things around so that both would have a side to themselves; strategically arranging the large potted plants so that they would have some semblance of privacy. Sasuke is already done calmly laying his things out on the cot you’d placed for him when you finish washing up and giving Naruto his reading lesson. He watches you warily when you approach to complement how organized he is, dropping his gaze and pulling on the hem of his shirt sleeve,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you need anything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that cot isn’t super comfortable; we’ll get you a real bed here in a few days, I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You bit your lip. There was much more you wanted to ask him; how he felt about living here, whether he would be comfortable in a new place, how he was, in general...but you knew that insincere one word responses was all you were going to get from him right now. It was a difficult thing to contend with, but not unexpected. Naruto, for all the challenges he had, wore his emotions on his sleeve, and it was never hard for you to tell what was going on with him. But they were different people; even young as they were, you had to remind yourself. Naruto had needed the constant reassurance that you weren’t going to abandon him, that you cared for him genuinely, and that his life with you would have permanency. Sasuke...well you weren’t sure what he needed yet, but it would certainly take more than one evening to figure out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So you tucked Naruto in as always, kissing him on the forehead, thankful he was not yet at the age where this would be an embarrassing thing for his schoolmate to witness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, Sasuke.” you called to the shape under the covers across the room, faced away from you. There was no response. Maybe he was already asleep, but you doubted it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You couldn’t sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It frustrated you. You had thought bringing Sasuke here, away from the empty compound and everything it reminded him of, would ease your mind. Even if he didn’t yet know it, he was safe here. And yet you couldn’t stop tossing and turning, a sixth sense telling you something was wrong. It reminded you of the first night Naruto had been here; how you’d woken with the same certain feeling and found him deep in a nightmare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So you rose, just as you had then; wrapping a robe around yourself. Naruto was still sleeping peacefully, and at first glance, so was Sasuke; but as you approached you realized with a rising panic exactly what was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Sasuke was no longer there; his bags had been shoved hastily under the covers in the vague shape of a boy. You fought down your panic, glancing at Naruto; you hated to leave him, but you knew where Sasuke was. Only one place he </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Uchiha compound was just as terrifying tonight as it had been the other evening; but you fought down your fear nonetheless and forged on. There was very little moonlight, so searching every yawning room was made difficult by the darkness. Everywhere, signs of the slaughter; torn papered doors, slashes in the walls, broken household items. House after house it weighed more heavily on you, even as you tried to focus on finding Sasuke. Room after room of tables set for dinner, beds half made, children’s toys strewn haphazardly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the obvious appeared before you; the biggest house at the end of the main strip; the house of the clan leader. You found Sasuke in the first bedroom you entered, as if guided there. He was curled up on a huge bed, sound asleep; in his sleeping face you could see the emotions he’d hidden so well during the day. The bed, and the room, were too big to be his. They were his parents’, you realized; your throat going raw at the thought. He had come home to his parent’s bed for comfort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You sat there in the dark on your haunches, trying to breathe and figure out what to do. The oppressive quiet was interrupted by an owl somewhere outside the window; you saw Sasuke flinch and begin to tremble, frightened in his dreams, and fought the urge to gather him up and carry him home with you. In the morning, you would work on helping him feel safe again. For now, you could only sit nearby, ensuring that he was. </span>
</p>
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